Liggend meisje en geesten van overledenen

About this artwork

height 180 mm x width 271 mm

Art Historical Context

Paul Gauguin's *Liggend meisje enesten van overledenen (Reclining Girl Spirits of the Dead), between October 1893 and March 1894, captures the artist's fascination with mysticism and the exotic during his Post-Impressionist phase. from his first journey to Tahiti in 1891–1893, Gauguin drew inspiration from Polynesian spirituality for this intimate lithograph, part of his *Noa Noa* series. The title evokes a dreamlike scene blending the earthly and supernatural, reflecting his Symbolist leanings and rejection of Western realism in favor of primal, emotional expression. Printed in lithography—a planar technique using greasy crayon on stone for rich tonal variations—this modest sheet (180 × 271 mm) allowed Gauguin to experiment affordably and produce multiples, democratizing his visionary art. His bold contours and flattened forms echo primitive art influences, foreshadowing modernist printmaking. This work highlights Gauguin's cultural bridge-building, merging European techniques with imagined Pacific otherworldliness, offering visitors a window into his quest for spiritual authenticity amid late-19th-century artistic upheaval.

About the Artist

Paul Gauguin · 1848–1903

Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) was a French Post-Impressionist painter whose bold experiments with color, form, and subject matter made him one of the most influential figures in the transition from 19th-century art to modernism. His rejection of European civilization for the perceived authenticity of 'primitive' cultures established an archetype of artistic exile that continues to resonate. Gauguin's ...